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Genetically enhanced cows resist intramammary Staphylococcus aureus infection

Nature Biotechnology volume 23, pages 445–451 (2005)Cite this article

A Corrigendum to this article was published on 01 July 2005

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Abstract

Mastitis, the most consequential disease in dairy cattle, costs the US dairy industry billions of dollars annually. To test the feasibility of protecting animals through genetic engineering, transgenic cows secreting lysostaphin at concentrations ranging from 0.9 to 14 mg/ml in their milk were produced. In vitro assays demonstrated the milk's ability to kill Staphylococcus aureus. Intramammary infusions of S. aureus were administered to three transgenic and ten nontransgenic cows. Increases in milk somatic cells, elevated body temperatures and induced acute phase proteins, each indicative of infection, were observed in all of the nontransgenic cows but in none of the transgenic animals. Protection against S. aureus mastitis appears to be achievable with as little as 3 mg/ml of lysostaphin in milk. Our results indicate that genetic engineering can provide a viable tool for enhancing resistance to disease and improve the well-being of livestock.

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Figure 1: Protein analysis of milk from transgenic Jersey cows 001, 101 and 204 and nontrans-genic Jersey cow 102.
Figure 2: Milk parameters and lysostaphin concentration during the first lactation of transgenic cows.
Figure 3: S. aureus serotype 5 lawn grown in the presence of 10-μl drops of milk from transgenic (Tg) and nontransgenic (Non-tg) Jersey cows and recombinant lysostaphin.
Figure 4: Response of transgenic (n = 3) and nontransgenic (n = 10) cows to intramammary infusion of 80 c.f.u. of S. aureus in each of three glands/cow during peak, mid- and late lactation (21 transgenic glands and 47 nontransgenic glands).

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  • 01 July 2005

    Nat. Biotechnol. 23, 445–451 (2005) In the abstract on page 445, the quantities given for lysostaphin in the following sentences are incorrect: “To test the feasibility of protecting animals through genetic engineering, transgenic cows secreting lysostaphin at concentrations ranging from 0.9 to 14 mg/ml in their milk were produced” and “Protection against S.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Caird Rexroad, Jr., Lanette Edwards and John Bramley for helping establish the groundwork on which this project was built. We thank Paul Graninger for excellent technical assistance and Linda Mooney, Jon Leith and Mike Kemp for expert animal care. We also thank Duane Norman for milking record analysis. Reference to any commercial product or service is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the USDA is implied.

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  1. Kevin D Wells

    Present address: Revivicor Inc., 1700 Kraft Drive, Suite 2400 Blacksburg, Virginia, 24060, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. United States Department of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Germplasm Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, 20705, Maryland, USA

    Robert J Wall, Anne M Powell, Vernon G Pursel, Neil Talbot & Harold W Hawk

  2. United States Department of Agriculture, Bovine Functional Genomics Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, 20705, Maryland, USA

    Max J Paape & Douglas D Bannerman

  3. Department of Animal Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, 05405, Vermont, USA

    David E Kerr

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Correspondence to Robert J Wall.

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D.E.K. is co-inventor on a US patent that incorporates some aspects of this work.

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Wall, R., Powell, A., Paape, M. et al. Genetically enhanced cows resist intramammary Staphylococcus aureus infection. Nat Biotechnol 23, 445–451 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1078

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